Laurel Coffee Profile
Varietals
Yellow Catuai
Process
Washed
Producer
Peralta Family
Notes
Lemon, White grape, Raspberry & Ederflower
About the Producer
The Region
The municipality of San Fernando is located about 24 kilometers from the Ocotal region and of the 10,000 inhabitants, the vast majority are coffee growers. This beautiful area is located in the Nueva Segovia region where altitudes range between 1,350 and 1,550 meters above sea level. Santa Maria de Lourdes embodies a diverse range of lush vegetation and wildlife brought about by high levels of rain. Indeed the farm has 4 wetlands, 6 water sources and 5 streams, all flowing into the San Fernando River, which belongs to the La Horca River basin, which flows into the Coco River.
Nueva Segovia boasts some of the highest growing altitudes in Nicaragua. The terrain is as beautiful as it is challenging to traverse, characterised by rolling hills and dense forest, often engulfed by thick clouds.
The climate of Santa María de Lourdes is much more humid, which means that less coffee trees are planted to ensure balance in the ecosystem.
The Process
The Peralta ‘Laurel’ process is a washed process with some variations to the traditional fermentation. Ripe cherries are carefully selected with a minimum Brix value of 19.50o. They are then washed, siphoned and pulped. After pulping, the coffee is left for around 48 hours, with precise timing dictated by ambient temperature inside the dry running channel. Every 6 hours the coffee is rinsed with clean water to prevent the pH from dropping below 5. Water is also sprayed during this period to lower the temperature and avoid over-fermentation. The coffee is then thoroughly washed at the end of the fermentation stage and left to rest for 24 hours. Measurements are taken throughout to maintain an ambient temperature of 17oC, a coffee pH of 5 and a water pH of 7. After rest, the wet parchment is dried on covered, African- style raised beds for an average of 13 days, before being rested as dried parchment and then milled for export.